From the very first, the concert given by talented mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli together with Italian period music ensemble Il Giardino Armonico recieved universal acclaim. Above all, they performed unknown works that had... more &raquo to be copied from Vivaldi's original manuscripts. The concert program encompasses arias and instrumental works from the operas "L'Olimpiade," "Tito Manilio," "Ottone in Villa," "Farnace," "Bajazet," "La Fida Ninfa," from the oratorio "Juditha Triumphans," and the "Gloria," plus two Vivaldi concertos.&laquo less

Movie Reviews

Cecilia at her very best

Brian Wrangham | Ottawa, Ontario Canada | 08/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Watching this DVD was a truly wonderful experience, a real feast both for the eyes and ears. The concert which was recorded in a very elegant hall in Paris last September was filled to overflowing with a very enthusiastic and appreciative audience. The generous program consisted of 14 selections, all by Vivaldi, - 12 arias and 2 concertos - and it lasted just over 100 minutes. I suspect that many of the arias sung will be new to most viewers. In fact, most of the music is relatively unknown and had to be specially transcribed for the occasion from Vivaldi's original manuscripts. And what glorious and all encompasssing music it is. The tone of the arias cover the entire range of human emotions - from happiness and joy, to reflection, to terror and absolute grief and despair. They are sung in Cecilia's truly inimitable style. Of course, the closeups afforded by the DVD far surpass the pleasures of only listening to similar material on CDs. Cecilia sings with such conviction and obvious sincerity and pleasure that it is practically impossible not to get carried away with the music. The accompanying ensemble -Il Giardino Armonico - play with their usual conviction. The enjoyment of the program is enhanced as always by the exemplary video direction of Brian Large and the beautifully recorded sound -- the closeups of Cecilia are truly engrossing. Technically the DVD is among the best that Arthaus Musik has released to date. The picture is reasonably sharp throughout (unlike some of the company's earlier releases) and the colours very pleasing to the eye. This is one of the first recital DVDs from Arthaus to feature a DTS soundtrack, as well as PCM and 5.1 dolby digital(DD). As one might expect, the DTS sound is definitely superior to the 5.1 DD, and even the excellent PCM audio. The picture format is 16x9 and the subtitles which are large and clearly legible are available in five languages including English. A multilingual information booklet about the music and artists is included. I am sure that this is one purchase which will remain a favourite of mine for a long time."

Art of the highest calibre!

duisterdoos | 08/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have never been a lover of the music of Vivaldi (anyway not the pieces that have been beaten into a pulp by every pseudo-classical radio station around the globe). My eyes, and ears, have been opened by this amazing recital. Many music lovers are extremely critical of Cecilia Bartoli. Her mannerisms, technique, breathing etc are targets for many vitriolic tongues these days. What rubbish! Everyone does not like sterile academic performances. I think this lady, as well as every member of the orchestra in this recording, is absolutely brilliant. They make every note live! I don't think that I will in my lifetime ever hear a voice like this, interpreting music like this again! These artists make Vivaldi live again. Truly - Viva Vivaldi and Bravo Cecilia and Il Giardino Armonico. Do yourself a favour and get your hands on this DVD."

Glorious Vivaldi!

Jose Llorca | San Jose, San Jose Costa Rica | 06/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cecilia Bartoli, What can I say about her? She is a powerful blend of furor, of tenderness, of magnificent voice. And the Giardino ensemble, wonderful, pure italian flavor.
The surround sound is very nice, both the Dolby 5.1 and the DTS 5.1. My score: a 10. And for the spanish speaking people; the DVD comes with sp subtitles.
If you like woman voice, if you like opera, if you like lute and flautino concertos, in a word, if you like music and Vivaldi, then this DVD is a must, you have to get it!"

Super!

Zhiyi Wang | Beijing, CHINA | 11/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This concert is amazing, those vivaldi's vocal pieces have never been performed on the stage like this. Bartoli is too good to comment, undoubtedly the best messo-soprano. The sound of this DVD is superb, with the digital surrounding sound, you can feel the audience applauding everywhere. By the way, the orchestra did an incredibly good job, the dynamic range, the collaboration with each other, etc. all is perfect, just as hot as the vocal performance. Highly recommended."

A great combination

Merksamer Israel | 08/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Il Giardino Armonico" are one of the most interesting groups performing late baroque music, and they are wonderful here, their contribution is essential. But the real stars on this DVD are Vivaldi and Bartoli. I love Vivaldi`s music and know it well, but was surprised at the enormous excitement it can carry in Cecilia`s interpretation. Be warned - not only excitement, but a wide range of feeling, including the most tragic.The singing simply seems to be out of this world. If this review seems to use too much superlatives - it does rightly so!This may be the most exciting DVD you`ll ever watch!!"